Stray
by fullmetalkahn
Summary: Inspired by a livejournal prompt and various picture on the internet. This is the story of Timothy Drake. After a chance encounter with Selina Kyle at age 6, Tim grew up into Stray, a thief and a hero. Watch his journey as he learns, laughs, loves and tries to be free.
1. The Stray Kitten

**Hello internet people! Well, I was surfing the internet the other day and I came across something that I instantly fell in love with. It was this brilliant AU character called "Catlad". Basically it's Tim Drake (aka the Red Robin and my favorite Robin) if he was taught by Selina Kyle instead of Bruce Wayne.  
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**After reading as many fics as I could, I decided to write one myself. I don't know how many chapters I will make. Also, as I have not planned much, I am going to rate it "T" for now to be safe.  
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**Anyway, I don't own these characters, DC does.  
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Selina Kyle walked down the alley of the city of Gotham with a certain familiarity. Gotham was as much her territory as it was Batman's, and a cat knows it territory. She knew these streets better then anyone else.

A crash broke the silence of the alley. Selina prepared to have to fight. Gotham was rarely a safe place, even in the middle of the day. She relaxed her mind as her eyes focused towards the origin of the sound and her ears listen for possible attacker. She saw something move.

A tiny person appeared form the shadows. He was a little boy who looked no more then five or six years old. Dirt and grime covered him from head to toe, blue eyes shining through. The black hair on his head was messy and had bits of trash in it. The boy was dressed in nothing more then a torn and dirty pair of pajamas. He looked to Selina like a sad kitten, watching her with a look of curiosity as if he wanted to see what she would do. There was something else in his eyes, something Selina was familiar with. It was and aching sense of sad loneliness.

She knelt down to be eye level with the boy. "Don't be afraid, little stray. I won t hurt you," Selina spoke with a soft voice.

The boy hesitated a bit but took a step towards her.

"What do you want?" he spoke with a sense of maturity.

Selina smiled, a rare real smile as apposed to a smirk. "I just want to talk."

The boy looked at Selina wearily, but he didn't run.

"How long have you been out here?"

The boy looked at the ground. "I don't know."

"Where are you're mommy and daddy?"

"They blew up."

She paused at this.

Selina was never that good at comforting people. "I'm sorry," she finally said.

The boy shifted where he stood.

"You know, my parents are gone too," said Selina.

He looked at her. "Really?"

"Yes."  
She moves a bit closer, careful to maintain her calm. The boy does not run. Selina takes this as a good sign.

"Are you hungry, little kitten? If you are, I was on my way to get food."

The boy hesitated. Selina couldn't help but smirk internally at the calculating look in his eye, as if he was thinking of every possibility.

"It's just dinner, right? You're not taking me to the cops are anything, right?"

Selina smirked, "Don't worry. No one will be going to the cops."

"OK then."

The boy held his hand out.

Selina stood up and took it.

"What's your name, kitten?"

"Timothy Drake."

"You can call me Selina, Tim."

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**There it is. Remember, comments equal love.**


	2. A Night in the Life of a Thief

**Well, it took a bit but here is the next part. I hope you enjoy it. Honestly, I'm not too proud of it but I am my own worst critic.  
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**Anyway, I don't own Batman, DC does, etc etc.  
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**3 years later...**

The Yurungkash Cat. A beautiful carving of pure white jade, flawless and elegant. A piece of art over a century old. The worlds largest white jade stone carved in the elegant shape of a cat.

It was too much of a temptation for Selina to pass up.

Moving with the grace and confidence of her namesake, she slinks through the museum, not bothering with the security cameras. Tonight, she didn't need to. She avoided the sensor alarms with a leap and landed before touching the semi-invisible laser trap hanging in the air.

Inches in the front of the case holding the jade statue, she stops. Tapping the button on the side of her specially made goggles, she could see the pressure sensors on the inside of the glass. Patiently, she waited.

Within the blink of an eye, the sensors turned off and the glass case opened.

Selina smiled at herself. So far, so good. She took the Yurungkash Cat in hand.

_And cue the Bat._

"You've starting to become predictable."

Selina smirks. So they're playing this game.

"Now, Batty. There's no reason to be mean. You and I both know that's not true."

She turns around, still smirking and still holding the priceless antique. There Batman stood, as imposing and dark as ever, strength resonating from his still form.

All Selina could think is _Meow._

"Put it back, Catwoman. Don't make me hurt you."

"Now who's predictable?", she replied with a wink.

At that, the laser trap above there heads disappeared. With a smirk and a flash, Selina leaps up into the air, pulls out her whip, and uses it to pull herself up to the skylight. Batman pulled out his grappling hook and followed her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, big boy."

As suddenly as they disappeared, the trap reappeared, catching Batman in its gripe. The trap electrocuted the Dark Knight, causing him to fall on the ground.

Selina stilled for a moment. When she saw Batman begin to stand up again, she pushed against a certain window pane in the skylight. It opened, having been unlocked by the Cat before the robbery.

"Bye-bye, Batty." With that, she was gone.

…

Batman heard to his feet as fast as his shocked body could move. He did not know how Selina (_Catwoman he caught himself it was only Selina on the streets or on the dance floor or in bed_) was able to turn on the trap when she did but he intended to find out. He threw a Batarang at the origin of the laser trap, deactivating it. Employing another grappling hook, he followed after Catwoman.

When he got on the roof, she was nowhere to be found. He looked at the surrounding roofs with a careful trained eye but she was not there. He then checked the streets.

The streets of Gotham were surprisingly calm at that moment, people quickly walking home after a hard days work, not caring about others around them. Teenagers waking hand in hand and sometimes even closer, on there way back from a date. Cars driving by, hurrying with a single minded pursuit to get home.

All these things Batman took in with a single glance. But none of these people were Selina. No one had the right body type or height to be the feline thief.

One thing did catch the Dark Knight's eye as out of place. A boy dressed in black walking by himself. He wore a hoodie and carried a backpack with him. He was short, even shorter then Jason (_I hope he is enjoying being a Titan wait did he really say that never mind just forget it_), and looked like he was lugging something heavy.

Batman focused in on this boy. He decided to follow him. After all, he knew where Selina was staying. And his gut was never wrong.

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**Next time: Bruce confonts Selina about Tim.**

**And for anyone who is curious, the statue is named after the Yurungkash, or "White Jade" River, a river famous for its deposits of rare white jade.  
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**Remember, reviews feed the muse.  
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